Biographical Note:

Addison Clay Harris was born on October 1, 1840, in Wayne County, Indiana. His parents were Branson Lewis and Martha (Young) Harris. He attended the Quaker schools near his home. In 1862, he graduated from Northwestern Christian (Butler) University. He immediately began studying law in the office of Barbour & Howland and later with Samuel E. Perkins. In 1865, Harris was admitted to bar and began a law partnership with John T. Dye, with whom he practiced for seventeen years. After his partnership with Dye dissolved, Harris practiced alone. On May 14, 1868, he married Indiana “India” Crago.

From 1876 to 1880, Harris was a member of the Indiana State Senate. President McKinley named him minister to Austria-Hungary in 1899. Harris held this post for three years before resigning to return to private practice. Additionally, he served as president of several organizations including the Indiana Law School (1899-1904), the Indiana Bar Association (1904-1905), and Purdue University’s Board of Trustees (1909-1916). Harris is also the author of Modern Views of Compensation for Personal Injuries (1909). He died on September 2, 1916, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Sources:

Shepherd, Rebecca A., Charles W. Calhoun, Elizabeth Shanahan-Shoemaker, and Alan F. January, comp. A Biographical Directory of the Indiana General Assembly, Volume 1, 1816-1899. Indianapolis: The Select Committee on the Centennial History of the Indiana General Assembly, 1980.

Scope and Content Note:

The collection contains a manuscript of Harris’ account of the Quakers in the community where he was raised. He talks about their prosperity and his experiences attending the Quaker Meeting House and the Quaker school. He proceeds to discuss the founding and early history of the Quaker Church as well as Quaker beliefs. Also included are a pamphlet titled “Indiana” that also includes a map of the state and a memorandum brief submitted by Harris to the United States Circuit Court in the case of The Citizens’ Street Railroad Company vs. The City Railway Company.

Item Listing:

1880 "Indiana" with map 1894 July 14 Memorandum brief, The Citizens' Street Railroad Company vs. The City Railway Company undated Experiences with and history of Quakers, manuscript

Collection Information:

Size of Collection:1 folder (3 items)

Collection Dates:1880-1884, undated

Provenance:Mrs. Addison C. Harris, 26 October 1939

Access: This collection is open for research. Restrictions:None

Reproduction Rights:Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library. Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.